Available Services
Services for People with Disabilities
DSPD provides a great number of varied services intended to help people with disabilities participate more fully in their communities and lead more self-determined lives. Some of the more common categories of services are listed here, with a brief explanation, and can often be tailored to your unique situation. Note: not all services are available on each Medicaid waiver. Please see the “Waivers” page for more information.
Behavior supports address serious behavior problems for people with disabilities. By focusing on sound principles of applied behavior analysis and on positive behavior supports, these services provide personalized behavior consultation to families and staff who support people with a range of serious to the most complex behavior problems that a person may exhibit.
Chore services help maintain a clean, sanitary, and safe living environment for persons with disabilities who are unable to complete chore activities on their own. This includes heavy household chores such as washing floors, windows, and walls; snow removal, lawn care; tacking down loose rugs and tiles; and moving heavy items of furniture in order to provide a safe living environment.
This is a non-medical care, supervision, and socialization service for functionally impaired adults. Companions assist or supervise such tasks as meal preparation, laundry, and shopping, but do not perform these services as discrete services. Companions do not provide hands on nursing care but may perform light housekeeping tasks that are incidental to the care and supervision of a person.
Day Services include daytime supervision and support to develop and maintain self-help skills, community living skills, social skills, and communication skills. These services are intended for those who need more supervision and support developing work and community living skills.
Environmental Adaptation services allow families to make physical alterations and adaptations to their home as needed to ensure the health and welfare of the individual or enable the individual to function with greater independence in the home.
Financial Management Services are provided by a Fiscal Agent in connection with the Self-Administered Services Model. A Fiscal Agent is a company contracted with DSPD to handle employee payroll, including state and federal tax deductions. The fiscal agent will issue paychecks to employees who are delivering services based on approved timesheets.
Host homes are out-of-home placements for a short or extended period of time within the private home of a trained family. This is an alternative to an institutional or group home setting and may include additional services depending on individual needs.
Professional Parent Supports are available for clients under 22 years old, who prefer living in a private residence with a family or caregiver (non-related; parent or guardian), who may need out-of-home placement for either a short or an extended period of time. Professional Parent Supports are established to give children and youth with disabilities an alternative to institutional or community living settings, such as group homes and apartments. This program allows a child or youth to be placed with a family or caregiver who has received specific training regarding disabilities.
Residential Supports help a person to gain or maintain skills to live as independently as possible and fully participate in a community setting of their choosing. It provides up to 24 hours of support, supervision, training, and assistance to maintain the person’s health and safety while remaining in the community.
Respite care is care provided by a trained person that temporarily relieves parents or caregivers from the day-to-day care they provide to the individual with disabilities. It can be provided in the family’s home, in the home of the respite provider or in a specialized facility, depending on the needs and preferences of the family or individual.
Support Coordination Services are provided by Support Coordinators who monitor the health and safety of persons in the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver or Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Waiver in accordance with program requirements and the person’s assessed service needs. Support Coordinators also inform persons of available services, help select providers that offer those services, assist persons in obtaining the services they select, and monitor the delivery of quality waiver services. A person may choose a Support Coordinator who is an employee of DSPD or a private contractor. Choosing either type of Support Coordinator does not affect the services available to the person.
Supported Employment includes job development, placement, intensive on-the-job training, and supervision by a job coach. It is intended for those people who may not be able to work in the community without some form of support, but does not rise to the same level of supervision as Day Services.
Supported living provides support, supervision, socialization, personal care, training and assistance in order to help people live as independently as possible. This service is often for those who live alone in their own homes, with roommates, or a spouse and includes help with various activities of daily living necessary for an individual to maintain a self-directed life within the community.
DSPD provides a number of transportation options to help a person gain access to waiver and other community services, activities and resources. These may come in the form of UTA passes or paratransit to name a few and can often be modified to meet a person’s individual needs.